


Fraternity

by Rhiw



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe, Baby Nero, Baby V, Brotherly Love, Demons Are Assholes, Devil May Cry 5 Spoilers, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Parent Vergil (Devil May Cry), Slice of Life, Team Half-Breeds for the Win, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, V is an independent character, humans are assholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-05 16:58:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19044577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhiw/pseuds/Rhiw
Summary: Dante is still on a rather self-destructive path following the loss of Vergil and the events of Temen-ni-gru. Missions keep him busy - and more importantly - keeps his mind away from missing his ass of a brother. But when he accepts a mission to kill off a demonic nest, Dante finds something he was utterly unprepared for; rather, he finds two somethings he was utterly unprepared for.Or, the fic in which Dante accidentally finds Vergil's twin sons - Nero and V.





	1. Fortunate Finds, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [This gorgeous art!](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/524246) by TonyxSteveStony. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame this totally on these cute ass pics on Pintrest of Dante, Vergil, kid!Nero and kid!V, with babies!Nightmare, Shadow, and Griffin. The cute. Sweet Jesus, the cute.

Fortuna was a weird place, in Dante’s educated opinion. Even if you removed the fact that there were statues of his dad abso-fucking-lutely everywhere, the cult-like atmosphere of the general population was enough. Still, a job was a job, and Dante had done his damnest to keep himself busy in the last year and a half. After Vergil had…after Vergil, keeping busy was the best bet. And this job should be a cakewalk for what they were offering to pay. Something about killing off a nest of demonic young that seemed to be able to hold their own against the local demon hunters. From what Dante understood, they were a group of Holy Knights of the Order of Sanctum, which didn’t sound culty at all. The island itself was mostly tropical with a few snow-capped mountains peaking from it, and the mix of Eastern European and industrial architecture clashed horribly with the local biome. The whole city felt cold despite the warm and lush greens that surrounded it.

As it stood, Dante was eager to finish the job and get the hell out. Seriously, all the statues of Sparda were giving him the heebie-jeebies. He was met at the docks by a trio of Knights, each in pristine white uniforms and large durandal swords on their backs. They seemed like a capable crew, complete with the scars and unshakable aura that came with experienced demon hunters, so Dante was eager to meet what type of younglings were giving them a run for the money.

“So,” Dante asked, hands rested clasped on his head as followed them to the nest, “what kind are the demons  that have been giving you the business?”

The knight nearest to him gave him a glance, eyes flicking down to his exposed torso with disdain before looking away. “They are young, but not defenseless. The danger lies not so necessarily in the young themselves, but in what protects them.”

“They have two protectors at all times,” the knight leading them picked up, “though they are not the main concern as they appear some sort of demonic familiar but still young themselves. No, the problem lies in a third defender, one that is quite destructive in its power. Our first attempt at eliminating them ended up with a city block destroyed. Fortunately, their nest is in the western side of the city, the least populated, and there was an acceptable number of casualties.”

Dante’s brows furrowed, lips mouthing the word ‘acceptable.’ “So a bunch of babies kicked your asses, huh? That’s gotta be embarrassing.”

All three knights sent the twenty-year-old a look of annoyance. In fact, it was so synchronized it looked nearly planned. Dante threw both hands up in apology. “Just saying. Don’t get your panties in a twist. Besides, ole’ Dante’s here to solve your problem. I’ll have that nest cleared out in a jiffy.”

“See that you do.”

“See that you got my money handy.” Dante shot back, growing more and more annoyed at how prissy and stuffy these dudes were. They couldn’t be that much older than him, so why did they get to look down on him? After all, they’d called _him_ for help. Not to mention he was the son of their God. Ha, wouldn’t that make them shit themselves if they knew.

The rest of the walk was silent and within an hour they had left what was apparently the nicer area of the city and entered a district that was visibly much more run down and poorly maintained, though it was still as clean and white as everything else in the city. To Dante’s surprise, they came to a stop at a large, church like building that read _‘The Home of the Lost, Holy Order of the Sanctum Orphanage and School.’_

The building itself was untouched, but angling out the back end of it in a wide, lumpy triangle was a pile of wreckage and destroyed buildings.  Dantelet out a low whistle when he saw it. “Damn, take it that’s the where all those ‘acceptable causalities’ were?”

“Yes. The demon young – two in number – reside inside on the third floor. The building has mostly been abandoned save for a few of our sisters who have remained in prayer to keep their demonic influences from spreading to the district as a whole.” The eldest knight explained as he gestured towards the steps. “As such, please remain outside of the chapel and avoid conflict there if at all possible. The young are on the third floor, eighth room on the left from the stairs.”

“We wish you luck, hunter.” Another knight said, a badly burned hand pulling his hood up. “We will remain outside in case they summon the abomination. We will try to contain it, if possible.”

“However,” the third knight said, face shadowed by his hood, “should it be called, we expect you to defeat it. Failure to do so will void your payment.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dante said, already jogging up the stairs. “Don’t worry so much, damn.”

The building was completely silent inside. Despite the request, Dante still stuck his head into the chapel, shaking it when he found a row of nuns praying in front of a huge, hulking statue of his Sparda. Seriously, he was never going to get used to that. It didn’t take him long to get to the third floor, loosening Ebony and Ivory in their holsters as he counted the doors.

“Ah, here we go. Lucky number twelve.” Dante grinned, all teeth, and took a step back. He cracked his neck, then his hands, and kicked the door open, guns at the ready. What he saw inside though, had him freezing. The room was mostly destroyed, half of it gone and revealing a large, gaping hole that provided a spectacular view of the wrecked city.

Sitting on the portion of the wood floor that still stood, surrounded by dirty and mangled looking blankets, were two babies. No, honestly. Hand-to-god, two little babies, sitting up and playing with a small looking (kitten? Kinda bigger than a cat) black kitten. One had short bone-white hair, stained grey and dirty in some spots, and wide, cornflower blue eyes that stared at Dante in growing fear and horror. Across from him sat a smaller boy, slightly sickly looking, with inky black hair and even darker eyes.The kitten, which had been happily wrestling a ratty looking stuffed bird leapt to its feet, hair standing up and ears pinned back, sharp little teeth on display as it hissed and growl. A split second later and the bird – which was most definitely not a toy, but a small puff of feathers, talons, and a beak – dive bombed Dante, shrieking obscenities.

“Stupid cocksuckers, do you never learn?” A ridiculously high pitched and oddly childish voice shrieked, “stupid fuckers! Leave now if you wanna live!”

“Hey – wait – what the fuck!” Dante shouted as he ducked the sharp talons. “Hold on a second, jeez!”

“ – gonna call Nightmare and he’s gonna _squish_ you, _squish all of you!_ Get’em Shadow!”

“Woah!” Dante caught the kitten before the claws could sink into his exposed stomach, Ebony and Ivory clattering against the floor, wincing as the cat howled and screeched, claws swinging about like a windmill. He threw it away with all his strength, the kitten disappearing over the side of the ruined room and falling below in a lazy, humors arching circle, hissing and growling the whole time.

“Shadow!” The chick shrieked, darting after it, talons extended.

“Everybody just take a breath.” Dante grumbled. He scooped up the guns, tucking them into their holsters. “Hey little guys, I’m not gonna hurt you. I think.” The babies watched him nervously, chubby hands clasped tightly around each other’s. Dante’s brows furrowed as he approached, kneeling down. “Don’t feel like a mirage or a trap; definitely not a spell or illusion. Are you actually just babies?”

He poked the dark-haired boy’s cheek and winced when he immediately burst into tears, wailing loudly. This seemed to set the other boy off too and Dante winced. “Oh shit, sorry. Look, hey, it’s okay. Uh…” He glanced around in a panic before spotting a disgusting and waterlogged stuffed bear. “Hey, look. It’s a bear!”

He made it sway in place, dancing from side to side, and slowly the screams began to die down. The white-haired boy reached out, hesitant, before giving a watery giggle as he reached out to take it. The boy offered it immediately to his still sobbing (sibling?). The dark hair boy gave a hiccup, then another, before hugging the bear closely to his chest. Dante winced at the squishy sound it gave at the move, water dripping from its furred back.

“That’s…probably not the best thing for a baby.” He mused out loud, only to duck a moment later when the kitten came raining down upon him from the sky, the little puff of a chick following a moment later. "What the – just stop it!” He batted them both away, the kitten rolling to a stop before squaring up protectively in front of the babies – both who were rather alarmingly starting to look teary eyed again. “Look, I’m not going to hurt them, can you both just stop already?”

The chick hovered over the two boys nervously, darting to and fro. “That’s what they all say! I’m not gonna let you hurt V or Nero!”

“Nero and V, huh? Not bad names.” Dante said, feeling a smile tug at his lips when both boys looked up at the sound or their names. “These are the demonic young the knights here have been trying to kill? Seriously?”

“They’re not demons!” The chick squawked in irritation. “Not…not really. Not completely.”

Dante stilled, eyes locked on the bright, white hair of the chubbier boy. “What.”

“They’re human too!” That toddler voice, so odd and strange to hear come from a beak, announced defiantly. “It’s not their fault we came! V needed us, so we came!”

“So you are familiars then.”

The chick seemed to eye him wearily before circling down and landing at the dark hair baby’s side, hopping towards him. The baby, V, gave a gummy smile and picked it up – surprisingly gentle as he did so – and hugged it close.

“We came when Nero’s arm came.”

Dante’s brows furrowed deeper, before turning to the white hair boy. He reached out, motions gentle and slow, aware of those blue eyes watching him with fear and confusion, and carefully pulled the boy’s hands forward. At once he could see what the chick had been speaking about; the boy had a growth on his arm, nearly the entire length of it, that consisted of dark red and blue scuttles.

“They didn’t mind them until that. And then they tried to hurt them. So V called us and me and Shadow and Nightmare came.” The chick said, voice slightly muffled. “And we won’t let anyone hurt them. Even if you’re really tall!”

Dante let out a harsh sounding laugh at that. They had to be half demons; the offspring of a demon and human like himself. Everything made sense now; the orphanage, the knights weird caginess about their answers. Undoubtedly, they had been raised as regular foundlings until the white-haired boy had begun to show signs of his demonic heritage. They were hardly the first demon hybrids Dante had ever encountered, but usually such unions created creatures more demonic and far less human in both appearance in nature – that is if they even survived birth at all.  Their demonic father or mother must have been a summoner of some kind, which was why the dark haired boy had been able to summon his familiars far before they were ready to be present and used, which explained how young they seemed as well. He eyed the kitten and the chick in thought.

“Twins, right?" Just like him and Vergil. "I'm not gonna hurt them.” And of this Dante was one hundred percent certain and he could feel a dark rage gathering in his chest at the thought of the Holy Order that would do such little babies harm simply for existing. 

“Well, that’s quite disappointing.” A voice said sharply from behind and Dante turned, Ivory drawn to find a knight standing in the doorway, a dozen or so hoods visible over his shoulder. “However, it was what I suspected when I saw your hair. Come to collect your offspring, demon?”

“Fuck off.” Dante said flatly, eyes narrowing. “They ain’t mine. But seriously what the hell is wrong with you? They're just babies.”

“They’re demons.”

“Half-demons.” Dante corrected, “fathered by something fond enough to mate with a human.” Dante did not mention that it could have just as easily been rape. “Thought you guys were all about human-demon cooperation with the all Sparda worshiping. Didn’t Sparda father two kids with a human?”

The knight’s face twisted in fury. “Do not slander our Lord so, or presume to speak of him, fifth.”

Well then.

Dante flicked the safety off Ivory.

“Look man, this doesn’t have to end with your guts all over the floor. I make a rule not to kill humans, but if you think I’m going to let you off two _babies_ you’re out of your mind.”

“Yeah! What he said!” The chick was suddenly on his shoulder, nubby wings expanded threateningly, the kitten – Shadow – a snarling ball of hair between Dante’s legs.

“Why don’t just let me take them? Hm? I’ll get off them of this island and out of your hair, you won’t deal with them again. It's a win-win.” Dante offered. He really, really didn’t want to kill any humans. He never had, thank you very much, and he was careful not to. For the first time in a long time, Dante kind of wished Vergil was here to the dirty work.

“Or,” the knight said, drawing his sword from his back, “I can wipe the world clean of three abominations instead of two.”

“Cause that worked so well for ya last time!” The chick hissed. “V, call down Nigh – woah!”

Dante danced out of the way of the knight’s lunge, a hand coming up to protect the bird as the sword tip slashed towards it. It swung down instead, catching the kitten in the side. It collapsed before forming a small, glowing black ball or wispy light. Behind him there was a loud, fearful shriek and Dante spun on his heel, darting forward and lifting both babies up. V was still screaming, his face red and flushed, a hand fisted to the point of pain on Dante’s bare chest, sharp nails digging in deep. Dante winced, but before he could react the scream went up in pitch and with a wave of demonic energy that left him stumbling, the dark hair boy in his arms suddenly had a head of white hair, his dark eyes a brilliant green, and there was deep, earth shaking bellow echoing throughout the air.

The thing that fell from the sky was the size of van standing vertically, round and smooth, with fat arms and legs, and blackish-purple in color. It landed hard enough to crash through the wood floor, though it was climbing up seconds later. Dante jumped back, clearing the room and landing on a destroyed stone wall adjacent to the orphanage. He watched with wide eyes as the Goliath tore into the knights, bringing the church down around it.

“Woah.” Dante whispered, glancing down at the babies in his arms. Nero was watching the destruction eagerly with wide eyes, before shrinking back into Dante in fear when one of the knights was torn limb from limb. There were far more knights than three now and the hunter could only think that the fuckers had gone for reinforcements once Dante had left them, fully intending to kill all three of them once they’d figured out what Dante was. V’s hair was floating around his face, eyes a crystal clear green and just as cold as he watched the Goliath's path of destruction. He let out a sharp whistle. “Well shit, ain't that a sight. Okay, kiddos, we’re getting the hell out of dodge. Chickie-”

“My name is Griffon!”

“- whatever, can you pick up kitty-cat’s ball and bring it with us?”

“I-I’ve never tried.” Griffon said, sounding younger than ever.

Dante shrugged. “I'll take that as a no then.” He jumped back into the orphanage, balancing on the now exposed floor supports, the floor totally gone. He made his way towards the shadow ball, however by the time he reached it, it was already reforming into the kitten. Cub? Whatever.

“Okay, well. That solves that. Come on, we need to get to the dock’s while we can. How long does that summon last?”

“Not much longer,” Griffon admitted, sounding indignant, “but Nightmare’s doing his best!”

Dante rolled his eyes, feeling seriously outnumbered by all the kids he was suddenly surrounded by. “I’m sure he is. Come on Kitty, keep up.”

The journey to the docks took far shorter than the one from it, but Dante was also taking it at a full-on sprint, which for a half-demon was damn fast. It took way longer to find a boat to steal, and Dante felt a little guilty about that until he remembered the cold-hearted bastards had wanted to kill a pair of babies because of shit they couldn’t control. Dante sure as hell hadn’t asked to be born a half-breed. It wasn’t until they were on the open water and rocketing back towards the mainland, the summons – Griffon and Shadow – eyeing him wearily from where they flanked the pair of babies protectively, that Dante really started to think about what he done. He stood helplessly at the wheel; the two boys who had been ensconced by a pile of life jackets at his feet.

Well.

Crap.

What the hell was he supposed to do with a pair of babies?

Seriously, what was he supposed to do with them? Dante was barely twenty, he couldn’t take care of them, but he couldn’t push them off into another orphanage, look what had happened the last time that had happened. But Capulet city was different, more worldly, used to weird shit. Maybe they’d have a better shot there? Yeah, he’d fine a good place, like thoroughly vet it and shit, even get Lady to help him, and maybe they’d even find a good home.

There was a soft pressure against his leg and Dante looked down to find Nero leaning heavily into it, eyes blinking sluggishly. The baby looked up at him, blinking once more before giving him a sleepy smile. Nero’s little hands reached up to Dante, smile slipping when the older half-devil didn’t respond. When those blue eyes began to grow watery once more Dante sighed, reaching down and lifting the baby up. Nero let out a happy squeak, and Dante felt something in his heart ache pleasantly when a head was resting against his shoulder, small fingers curling around the edge of his duster. Nero’s eyes drifted close, his breaths hot little puffs against his neck. At his feet, V was curled up in a small ball, head cushioned on Shadow’s chubby stomach, hair dark once more and thumb in his mouth as he slept, the soggy bear still clutched to his chest. Griffon was a small fluff of feathers and down underneath his chin and Dante felt eye twitch slightly at the intense adorableness.

“Come on, man.” He huffed helplessly, “that’s just – you two are not allowed to be that cute.”

“Mah.” Nero grumbled, nuzzling into Dante’s shoulder.

“Yeah, well ‘mah’ you too.” The half-devil muttered and turned back to the sea. “What the hell am I going to do with you two?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the moment, this may or may not be a one-shot. I haven't decided. Seriously, go google those images. They're so cute.


	2. Fortunate Finds, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two.

“So…let me get this straight,” Lady said slowly, hands on her hips as she stared at the two boys who were drawing messily on wood floor with crayons Dante had nicked from a nearby diner and the back of (mostly unpaid) utilities bills. “You went to Fortuna,”

“Yep.”

“- to complete a very, very simple job,”

“So far, so good.”

“- and you some how managed to come back with two babies.”

“Sure did.”

“A cat,”

“I’m pretty sure Shadow’s a…I dunno, jaguar or something. Something exotic.” Dante corrected, petting the small cub curled up in his lap.

“- a tiny bird,”

“He’s – well, yeah he is small.”

“- and no pay check.”

Dante winced. “Technically, no.”

“Dante, I swear to God–”

“What was I supposed to do, Lady? Leave ‘em there?” He pointed at the two babies, who – according to the nice lady at the diner and then Griffon, who agreed with her (and was then promptly told not to speak around humans, _ever)_ – were probably a year or so old. They were babbling happy to each other, big smiles on their faces. “I couldn’t ethically complete that mission. I mean look how cute they are, they’re like cute little…demonic…human babies.”

Lady looked heavenward; expression pinched. “You can’t keep them Dante.”

“I mean, yeah. Obliviously.”

“You can barely keep the lights, you’re not responsible enough to raise twin boys.”

“Whose arguing with you? No one’s arguing with you.”

“Dante,” Lady’s voice was glacial, “you bought pet beds.”

Dante glanced over at the small cat bed that Griffon was currently conked out on, one wing covering his head. He supposed the fact that both familiars were comfortable enough to sleep even with Lady present meant they felt safe with him. Which, yeah, he _was_ the best. “Well, duh, they needed a place to sleep.”

Lady let out a heavy breath through her nose. “Dante.”

“Just give me the loan, Lady.” Dante said after a moment, kicking his feet off the desk. “I just need to get some baby stuff, alright? I’m just gonna keep them until I can find them a good home.”

“They’re not stray dogs, Dante, they’re children.” The huntress said, voice harsh. “Do you really understand that?”

“Look, I get it. I kinda suck at adulting.” The half-devil placed Shadow down on the pet bed tucked under his desk. “I’m gonna keep them until I find a family that'll give a shit about them. I owe them that.”

“You owe them?”

“I do.” Dante said sharply, “in case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t a hell a lot of us half-devils around. If I don’t look after them, no one else is gonna. I’m serious about this, okay?”

And he really, really was. Dante couldn’t explain it, but the longer he spent with the twins, the more attached he seemed to get, the more protective he was. Everything about the twins seemed to call to him; from their sweet, milky scents, to the soft sounds they made – sounds that seemed to make Dante turn on a dime, eager and ready to answer them – to the strange warmth that seemed to settle in his chest when he held them, their soft little bodies so lax and trusting in his grip. It made Dante want to keep them safe and happy, to bundle them away from the world. Instincts, probably, but Dante had always been one to trust his gut.

“I’ll take more jobs to pay you back, I’ll get a babysitter if I got to. I know what its like to be a half-devil. I know what happened to me and Verge after our parents died. And I know what it’s like to be alone with that. You think Vergil was always like that? Hell no. I’m not gonna sit back and that happen to V and Nero, you get me? Right now, I’m the only thing those little guys got, shitty adult or not.”

He didn’t realize that he’d been leaking demonic energy in his irritation until Nero gave a quiet whimper. Dante snapped out of it, pulling his aura back in and gently placing Shadow on the dog bed tucked under his desk. He hurried over to them, ignoring the way Griffon’s head had peaked up from under his wing or the feel of Lady’s sharp glare. “Hey, hey. Sorry, man, didn’t mean to do that.” Dante soothed, running a hand over Nero’s downy hair. It was crazy the way the baby’s head fit in his palm; he was so small. He reached out to V, the older twin (according to Griffin) watching him with interested eyes, head cocked. “You little dudes okay?”

V let out a coo, a slick of drool sliding down his lips that Dante caught with the sleeve of his shirt. He tweaked the ravenet’s nose, grinning when the boy laughed, hands flying about, each curled around a different color of blue crayon.

“Yeah, we’re all good.”

From behind him, Lady gave out a loud sigh. “V and Nero, huh? Interesting names.”

“Yeah, Griffon over there said they got their names when they were dropped off as newborns.” Dante carefully pulled a purple crayon from Nero’s mouth, “don’t eat that, buddy, you won’t like it. Nero’s from the black blanket they were wrapped in and V was the initial of their dad or something. I guess it was mentioned in the letter that was with them.”

Suddenly, Lady was next to him, brows furrowed. “The father’s name started with a V?”

“Yeah, apparently.”

“Dante,” something was off in Lady’s voice, something odd and strained, “you…you found them in Fortuna?”

“You know I did, you sent me there.” Dante answered, glancing up at Lady in confusion. Lady was completely pale, mismatched eyes wide.

“…and…and they’re a year?”

“Yeah,” the half-devil said slowly, brows furrowing, “that’s what Griffon said. Pretty sure he’s right, he is V’s familiar.”

“A year.” Lady breathed; disbelief heavy in her voice. When she spoke next, her voice was hoarse, nearly silent. “I’ll give you the loan.”

“Not that I’m not grateful, because I totally am, but why the change of heart?” Dante asked, standing. “What are you not telling me?”

Lady licked her lips, looking almost nervous. “Dante, a year ago…do you know where Vergil was a year ago? Because I do.”

Dante’s world went completely still.

And suddenly everything made sense; their questions surrounding their lineage, their father’s name – V, for Vergil – and the strange, possessive pull his demon had felt towards them. Dante really had just put down to some sort of misplaced need to protect Vergil, to fix what ever thing had fucked up his childhood so much to make him go and…for him to be like that, projected onto the twins. At the very least, he’d really thought it was instincts; how often had he seen demons go ballistic trying to protect their young? Nero and V were the youngest half-devils Dante had ever met, he’d just assumed that it was some sort of demonic need to protect the youngest members of his species.

But now…

They were…

He had a _family_ again.

Dante blinked rapidly, horrified to find his eyes stinging, his throat tight with emotion. A questioning call had him turning to the twins, Nero’s little hands gripping his sweat pants tightly, pulling himself to his feet shakily.

“Hi.” Nero said cheerfully, holding up a crumbled and brightly colored page of scribbles, slightly ripped down the center, “un!”

“You wanna show me that, little man?” Dante asked, voice hoarse. Nero let out a happy sound, waving it back and forward. “That’s – is that for me?” Dante would deny the break to his voice until the day he died, still the young man found himself blinking hard, dropping to a crouch carefully and pulling Nero into a tight hug. “Thanks buddy.”

Nero smacked him with a pout, pushing away. “No! Dwal!”

Dante laughed, the sound cracked, when Nero fell back on his butt, eyes wide in surprise before scooting across the dirty floor (and shit, Dante was actually going to have to _clean)_ and returning to his coloring. V offered him one of his crayons and Nero considered it, face far too serious, before nodding and taking it from his brother. They did this thing where they talked to each other, though Dante wasn’t sure if they actually understood each other because it certainly wasn’t any language the hunter could understand, and he found how seriously they conversed hilarious. Dante suddenly found himself laughing hard as he stared at his – oh damn, his _nephews –_ laughing until he was suddenly not, shoulders shaking as tears trailed down his cheeks in noiseless sobs.

A deceptively small and delicate hand rested on his shoulder, pressing just enough to be felt.

He had a _family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop me a comment if you guys have ideas you wanna see, this just hit me when I was in the shower. I may post more if I get inspiration again. Hope you guys like young!Dante, he's still a little immature and restless, and you know, young Dante.


	3. Fortunate Finds, Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I swear I'm done for tonight. Man, sometimes things just grab you and won't let go.

It was evening by the time Dante pulled back into his home. In the backseat, strapped into car seats that took way too long for Dante to figure out how to install, the boys were completely asleep. They’d had an exhausting day. Lady had given him a huge loan – one that would take Dante a decade to pay off at least – and while at first he’d thought it a bit much, Dante was grateful for it now.

After flagging down an older woman, Dante was grateful to find that his guess that she’d had kids was correct, and she’d guided him through the rather intimidating baby sections. Dante was pretty sure he was lucky nothing had fallen off the top off the car, as haphazardly strapped on as they pile of crap had been, and only his unnatural strength had gotten the trunk closed.

But Dante was the proud owner of fourteen sets of day clothes, fourteen sets of night clothes, more diapers then humanly possible, all types of butt and bath care, lotions out the wahoo, bath toys, a 3 in 1 baby wash, shampoo, and conditioner, washcloths, towels so soft Dante had broken down and bought one for himself (it had a hood, man, with dog ears, hell yeah he got one), these weird little inserts that went in the tub like mini tubs, a week worth of baby food, jugs and jugs of whole milk, sippy cups and tiny bowls and plates, even tinier forks and spoons, more bibs then he thought physically possible to own, several padded ‘play’ blankets, two cribs, two high chairs, a giant play pen, two bouncy chairs in odd plastic rings with wheels, several crib sheets, and a white stuffed bear for V, a black stuffed bear for Nero, and several teething rings.

The store lady had promptly informed Dante he’d have to come back for a thousand other crap he’d need and told him she’d be working tomorrow at the same hours and to look for her then. Dante was smarting over the expensive of it all and balked at the idea that there were still more to get. She was apparently going to make him a list.

He was exhausted by it all when he set up the play pen, putting the sleeping boys inside and tucking their toys next to them while he finished unloading the car. He’d managed to get the high chairs constructed – complete with sitting on each one to make sure they were actually built right and weren’t gonna collapse on the kids when they were in them – when Dante gave the hell up.

He’d barely cracked a beer and sat down when Nero was up and crying, which set V off, and before Dante knew he was strapping both screaming boys into the chairs as Griffon bitched and moaned at him, and he found himself fighting with a _bird_ of all things as he tried to figure out how to open the baby food.

He tried carrots, but V didn’t want them, and went through three different packages before the dark haired boy finally acceptable what was apparently peas (though it looked more like green paste to Dante). Thankfully Nero just accepted whatever food was put in front of him and Dante found himself sitting between each twin, trying not to choke them as he shoveled food into their greedy mouths.

Any irritation he felt disappeared at the sight of how hungry the two were. He pushed the anger he felt down, concentrating on catching any food that slid out of their mouths and pushing it back in. He let them eat however much they wanted; jaw clenched at the idea that his nephews could possibly be that hungry. Half-demons tended to eat more than humans in general, and kids were supposed to eat a lot anyway right? The idea of them sitting in that half-destroyed room, hungry and alone, surving off of whatever Shadow or Griffon brought them... And _fuck,_ what if the familiars hadn’t been there?

Dante made sure to give them each a slice of left-over pizza before he took the now food covered twins up for a bath, even though he wasn’t sure if they needed to eat. Luckily, both V and Nero seemed to enjoy the bath, happily playing with the floating boats and animals that Dante had picked up. He was careful with the water, soaping up their bodies with one of the new washcloths.

“Yeah, you like it don’tcha guys?” The young hunter said softly, even though both boys were still far more interested in the toys and the bubbly water then what he was saying. They sat in really shallow water like Dante had been told, the water mild but warm. “Feels good, huh? Getting ya nice and clean.”

The twins babbled at each other, exchanging toys, nibbling on them and generally splashing in the water. He let them stay into until it got cold before lifting them both out. Thank god they couldn’t walk all that well yet, because he was able to keep Nero distracted with a bath toy why he dried V off. The same was not true for V, who kept trying to crawl off until Shadow planted himself in the doorway, head cocked to the side and tail swinging to and fro lazily, giving V something to chase. Dante took advantage of it to coat Nero in the baby lotion like he’d been told, before giving him a new diaper – and shit, he’d forgotten to get something to put the dirty diapers in – and dressing him in this super sweet sleeper that had elephants all over it. Nero’s legs kicked out, giggling as Dante cursed as he tried to get his feet into the legs.

“Come on kid, it’s like nine. You’re totally supposed to be asleep according to that lady. Work with me here!”

And it was probably not good he was getting parenting advice from the local big box store, but Dante was desperate okay?

It took like an hour (V kept trying to escape getting dressed with all of his strength, leading Dante to have to keep his leg over the boy while he worked him into his sleeper and Nero used the distraction to make it past Shadow and clear into the hallway, crawling _way_ faster then a year old should before Dante realized he was gone and captured him back in a panic) before they were diapered, powered and lotion-ed up they way the lady said they needed to be, and fully dressed.

By that time, Dante was really exhausted. Physically he was fine, yet Dante didn’t even think about constructing the cribs or unpacking any of the other stuff tonight. Instead he found himself pushing his bed against the wall, lining his pillows along the crack and putting the twins between him and the wall. Shadow curled up between them, with Griffon up by their heads (Nightmare, apparently, existed in his own plain of Hell and didn’t come unless summoned directly) and Dante figured it would be safe enough.

He still stretched out on the open side of the bed, petting each twin in turn as he spoke quietly to them.

“Come on, buds. Time to sleep. You’re safe now, Uncle Dante’s gotcha. And he’s gonna make sure you get all the food you need, and get baths every day so you are nice and clean, and I’m gonna get you all the toys. Like, _all the toys.”_ Dante promised. He felt his lips quirking in a grin as both boys watched him, clearly interested in what he was saying. “What do you think, little guys? You ready to hang with Uncle Dante? Man, I’m going to teach you all kinds of stuff. Like what music is good, and how to get all the girls when you get older – or boys. I always dug the fairer sex, but I’m not gonna judge. You do you, kiddos.”

Nero let out a yawn, little mouth stretched wide.

Dante grinned. “Yeah, that’s right. You just go be yourself, Nero. Uncle Dante’s will make sure you’ll cool regardless. And – shit…damn, I’m supposed to stop cursing, probably. I think. Right, don’t say any of those words. Uh…what was I saying? Oh yeah, I’m going to teach you to kick major demon ass. Your dad–”

Dante stumbled for a moment, his hand coming out to stroke V’s hair, the dark locks curling slightly while damp.

“Your dad is complicated, but he could handle a sword. Not as good as me of course, but at least we know its in the genes. Yeah, buddy. There you go. Good night, little V. Not sleepy Nero?”

The white-haired body squirmed, pulling both teddies (he had promptly stolen the white bear from his brother, though V didn't seem too upset by it) closer, eyes heavy as he watched his newly minted uncle.

“Alright, want to hear a story? Okay, I was in this forest, right? And this demon – real big of one, like the size of a semi – popped out of nowhere. And so I’m gearing up to kick its ass, right? And out of nowhere – yeah, wasn’t alone. Turns out it was a baby, just like you!”

Nero grinned lazily, legs kicking out.

“Yeah, just a baby like you, Nero. But way bigger. So mom is like – three times as big as it – and she had tentacles!” Nero let out a soft sound, almost like a mew, and Dante was moving before he knew it, something inside of him responding to the request he knew was in that singular sound and pulled the baby close to his side. “Ah, hell. Is that all you wanted?” Dante asked, voice soft as Nero’s eyes drifted close. “Not that I blame you, I’d snuggle with me too. There we go.” He reached out, resting a hand over V’s chest, feeling it rise and fall. He grinned at the sight of Shadow completely asleep, his forehead pressed against V’s side. Griffon was asleep as well, curled up and resting against V’s head. “Yeah, there we go. Go to sleep, guys. Uncle Dante’s got ya. Uncle Dante’s got you. You’re safe here, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

He hated sleeping with his back to the door, but Nero was settled against his side, and Ivory and Ebony were on the night stand behind him, Rebellion within reach on the floor, and Dante highly doubted anything would get in without waking him - not tonight. Not with so many young around him that he was responsible for. Dante felt his aura pulse out, faint enough not to disturb the sleeping boys, but strong enough to be a warning to anything that may be wandering nearby. It saturated the small space, all but erasing the pulsing demonic lights of the twins, and the slightly stronger but still so young flares of Shadow and Griffon. 

“Yeah.” Dante said quietly, more than comfortable with watching the sleeping quartet until he finally fell asleep himself. “Uncle Dante’s got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Night guys. Thanks for the comments, views, and kudos. Keep the suggestions coming, I'll include them at some point.


	4. Fortunate Finds, Part 4

The helpful woman at the grocery store turned out to be a great-grandmother of six named Ethel. Despite being in her early eighties, she was quite spry. When Dante had come in the following day for the other things he would need, it was with Nero perched in the crook of one elbow, the boy grumpy and angry about not being allowed to have some scotch tape he’d seen on display at the front and letting the whole store know it loud shouts and yells, his little fingers yanking painfully at Dante’s hair. V, by contrast, was sitting primly in the cart’s child seat, sucking on his fingers.

Ethel had taken one look at Dante’s exhausted and ragged appearance before stepping in. She put Nero on her hip, bobbed him a few times – and like a miracle – Nero was silent and watching her with wide blue eyes. She opened a package deftly with one hand and replaced V’s fingers with a teething ring. The dark haired baby’s expression lit up with interest, chewing on the ring intensely. “You look like you didn’t manage much sleep last night.”

“They kept waking up!” Dante sputtered in defense as he tried smooth his bangs back down.

“Did you get a chance to read that book you bought yesterday?”

“I, eh…don’t read much usually.” Ethel gave him an unimpressed look, one that almost every nun at the Orphanage School that Dante had grown up in had mastered. Maybe it was an old lady thing? Ethel held Nero with a familiarity that spoke of her matriarch position, her grip light but firm. She was a frail thing, skinny with bony arms and fingers, skin thin under the florescent lights. But her grey eyes were still quite sharp and intelligent as she sized him up.

“And you say your brother is dead?”

Dante winced. “Dead, missing…same thing, really. I don’t think he’ll be back for the kiddos.”

Ethel nodded, then turned on her head and all but marched into the baby section. Dante followed with the cart, wincing each time something was placed into it. He had, impressively, already almost used up most of Lady’s loan. Who knew that babies were so expensive? “Do you have any family to help you with this?” Ethel asked shrewdly, watching as Dante picked up the teething ring from where it’d fallen on the floor, wiped it on his just as dirty jeans, and then popped it back into V’s mouth.

“No, just us. I have a friend, but she’s not very good with kids either.” Lady had never been a person known for her patience, add in the fact that these were Vergil’s kids and…well…

“This will be difficult on your own.”

“Yeah,” Dante agreed, “I’m kinda figuring that out.” He let Ethel lead them through the department, trying to absorb the easy way she handled both babies, and how quickly she managed to distract Nero or V from having another tantrum. The half-devil perked up as a thought hit him. “Hey, Ethel?”

“That’s Mrs. Ethel, young man.”

“Er, right. Mrs. Ethel. Do you like working at here?”

“Considering my good for nothing husband spent all our retirement on gambling and whores, I do what I need.”

Dante made a face behind her back, trying to figure out how he could backtrack from that explosive statement. “I’m sorry to hear that?”

Ethel snorted. “Save your apologizes, I knew what George was when I married him. Why do you ask? Don’t play with that – it makes a noise and if you set it off again where I have to hear it I’ll be quite unhappy. It’s enough I hear that damn tune in my sleep.”

Dante dropped the toy in his hands as if he’d been burnt. “Well, uh, look. I was hoping maybe you’d like to make some extra cash? Babysitting? My work takes me out of town a lot and I need someone to watch the kids.”

“And you decided to ask the old woman you met from the Kmart, whom you barely know, to watch your nephews.”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

Ethel sighed as she turned, eyeing him critically. “How much are you willing to pay?”

“Uh…how much do you make here?” Because ‘not a lot’ would probably not be a strong selling point.

“Eight fifteen an hour.”

Dante perked up. “I can beat that. How about ten an hour and you’re welcome to any food in the fridge.”

“And coffee.”

“Yeah, coffee, soda, whatever.” Dante made a note to purchase actual food and drinks that wasn’t beer.

Ethel seemed to be considering it. She pulled a toy from Nero’s hands and put it back on a shelf, shoving a pacifier in his mouth just seconds before his face scrunched up. Nero’s face went blank in surprise, before he began to suck on it aggressively, suddenly enthralled with Ethel’s name badge, tantrum forgotten.

It was like witchcraft.

Dante had to have her.

“Look, if you need something steadier, I can do that. How about Monday through Fridays, weekends as needed, for twelve bucks an hour. I may need you nights, but I can get an extra bed for the room the boys are sharing.” Dante added quickly, when Ethel’s eyes narrowed.

“Fifteen an hour if you want nights and weekends covered. And extra two dollars for any chores around the house I do. Allow my grandkids to visit and you have a deal.” Dante whistled, Ethel drove a hard bargain. “Look, young man. If you want to me to be available at your beck and call I’ll have to quit my job here, and George’s check from the plant doesn’t cover what it used to.”

“Fine.” Dante grumbled, already wincing at the cost. “When do you think you can start? I’ve got a job offer for tomorrow night that I need to take. These brats are expensive as hell.”

Ethel watched him shrewdly for a moment, then glanced at where V was happily playing with his hands, before offering a thin, wrinkled hand. “Fine then, what time do you need me tomorrow?”

Dante let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, shaking the hand. “Four, if you can do it.”

“Four will be fine.” Ethel said dismissively, checking the list she made. “Go and get another cart, Dante. We’re going to need it.”

* * *

Dante was surprised to find he was actually nervous about leaving the kids alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Ethel’s abilities with kids, it was just…Ethel was _old._ And the kids were the only family he had left. If anything was to happen…Lady agreed to check in if anything went south or Dante was concerned, so that helped a little bit. But still, he found himself hovering over where Nero and V played with their brand smacking new activity center while he waited for Ethel to arrive. At three fifty-eight, there was a knock on his door. When he opened it, Ethel took one step in before her nose wrinkled in distaste. She handed Dante a Pyrex container. “I see I have my work cut out for me.”

Dante sputtered. “What the – it doesn’t smell that bad? Hey, is this a casserole?”

Ethel just shrugged, untying the plastic wrap that was protecting her hair from the light rain. “This is my great-grandson, Jonathan. He will be spending some of the night with us while my granddaughter is at work. Jonathan, be polite.”

Jonathan, a mixed race boy who appeared perhaps eight or nine and had tight, dark curls gave Dante a little wave. “Hullo, Mr. Dante. Nice to meet you. Most people but Nan call me Johnny.”

“Nice to meet you too, kid.”

“Now that’s out of the way, Jonathan, take the trash out for me please.” The boy gave Nero and V a curious look before heading towards the kitchen trash. “The youngest boy, Nero, the wrap on his arm. Is that something I need to be concerned with?”

“Ah, no.” Dante said, scratching his head. “They’ve already had their baths so you don’t need to worry about it. He has a…growth…on his arm. It doesn’t hurt him but people are kinda freaked out by it, so yeah.”

Ethel just nodded, taking that detail in stride. “Where is your cleaning supplies?”

“Uh. I have a broom in the back closet over there.”

Ethel stared at him. “No mop, or bleach? Any cleaning spray?”

“I usually don’t need it?”

“Young man,” and Dante was starting to think that was his name now, because he certainly responded to it like it was, “this place is absolutely filthy. If CPS was to show up here tomorrow, they would remove those children from your care.”

Dante blanched. “What? CP – Child Protective Services? You’re not going to call them, are you?”

“Not if you purchase cleaning supplies, I won’t.” Ethel said briskly, hanging her coat on the coat rack by the front door. “I’ll make a list of things you will need. Children your nephews age understand things mainly by putting them in their mouth. You a need a clean house for healthy babies.”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t know that.”

“Do try to read that book, Dante.” Ethel chided, “put that container in your oven to keep warm before you go. What time should I expect you home?”

“About eleven? Maybe twelve? It’s an easy job and not too far away, so I don’t expect it to take too long.”

“And what exactly is it that you do?” Ethel asked as she followed him into the kitchen. She put her foot on the bottom of the trash can, keeping it in place while Johnny struggled to get to the overstuffed bag out.

“I’m in pest control.” Dante said after a moment, “of exotic pests. So that’s why I have the weird hours.”

Ethel gave him an unimpressed look at the lie, before shrugging. “I expect my payment in cash upon your arrival. Please keep that in mind if it does take you the extra hour. And,” Ethel drew her finger away from the counter, covered in grime, “I believe it would be safe to add the additional two dollars for cleaning.”

Ruthless old hag.

Dante could respect that.

* * *

Dante got home closer to midnight to find Ethel knitting quietly on the sofa. The shop was clean, perhaps the cleanest he’d ever seen it – and that included when he purchased it. Ethel began to pack away her knitting supplies when she saw him. “I’m afraid I couldn’t wait on the cleaning supplies, so my son was gracious enough to go out and purchase some. You’ll find a receipt for reimbursement on your kitchen table.” Ethel said as she stood, bag in the crook of her elbow. “The boys were in bed by nine and have yet to wake up. You forgot to mention that you have pets.”

Dante laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his head. “Yeah, Griffon is the bird, Shadow is the cat.”

“I believe your ‘cat’ is illegal to be kept as a pet, young man.” Ethel said shrewdly, looking amused. Thankfully she did mention anything about either one of them speaking or acting weird, so he hoped the lecture he’d given the two familiars’ before he left had been enough. “I will have you know that I will not be cleaning up any animal messes.”

“Understandable.” Dante said with a grin, helping her into her coat. “Is someone coming for you?”

“No, I will be taking the bus. I should arrive in time to catch the last one.”

Dante frowned, uncomfortable with the idea. “Are you sure? I can call someone for you, or just strap the kids in and give you a ride home. It’s awful late and I’d hate if something happened to you when I could prevent it.”

Ethel gave him a small smile, patting his check affectionately. “I have lived in the slums of Capulet for my entire life, Dante. I will be fine. Do you need me tomorrow?”

Dante still looked unsure, but something about Ethel made him unwilling to challenge her. “Think you could be here at noon?”

“I may arrive earlier, depending on the busses.” Ethel said with a nod, before stepping out into the dark of Capulet. "There is left over casserole in the fridge should you find yourself hungry." She gave Dante a wave before moving down the steps and into the dark. Dante watched her walk away, her frame bent and huddled, but clearly utterly unafraid.

Dante watched her until she turned the corner, before locking up the shop and heading upstairs. Dante felt his lips pull into a grin at the sight of V and Nero asleep in their respective cribs, Griffon unfurling from his ball as he entered their room. Shadow was crashed on his side, stretched long and looking every bit the panther he probably was, prominently placed so that anyone entering the room would have to step over him to get inside.

“Hey, Grif. How’d the old lady do?”

Griffon hoped onto V’s crib edge, letting out a full body shake that Dante could only assume was a stretch. “She was fine, she’s good with V and Nero. A little scary, though,” Griffon finished with a muttered, looking down. “I didn’t talk though, just like I promised.”

“Good job,” Dante murmured, reaching past the pleased bird to gently run a hand over V’s sleeping chest. The job had been a good hunt, exhilarating with just enough action to make that itch under Dante’s skin finally go away. He gave V another stroke before moving to check on Nero. “How was the grandson?”

“Fine, I think he wanted to take Shadow home by the time his ma showed up though.” Griffon was clearly jealous of that and Dante smirked. “I don’t see what’s so great about that ball of fur anyway.”

He reached over, the chick leaning into Dante’s fingers as he scratched the familiar’s head. It was funny how human – er, well, not human, but how much of a personality both Griffon and Shadow had. In an odd way, their constant bickering (even if Griffon was the only one of the two that could speak) reminded Dante of his own childhood with Vergil.

“If it helps, I think you’re pretty cool, Chickadee. I bet if he knew you could talk he'd be trying to take you home instead.” Griffon all but preened at the comment, picking at his nubby wings and rearrange the feathers there. Nero made a sound, batting Dante’s hand away as he flopped about, hands flinging about before he found his stuffed bear and pulled it close. Dante felt the tension in shoulders leave completely, eyes soft as he ran a knuckle carefully down Nero’s chubby cheek. “I’m gonna get some sleep. You hungry or anything?”

Griffon shook his head, hopping across the crib to drop back in and curl up by V’s side. Dante chuckled, flicking on the baby monitor before leaving the bedroom door open a crack as he stepped out.

It was nice, having something to come back home to again.


End file.
